Fergus Crane is the brilliant creation of Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell previously known for their best-selling Edge Chronicles. I feel they have invented an enchanting fantasy adventure which is full of exciting twists and turns, guaranteed to keep imagination whirring. I find that the book is wonderfully illustrated, which makes it suitable for younger readers; no wonder it won the smarties prize gold award.

This richly woven novel is pacy and fast. The author paints a picture of each character using vivid descriptions. The character Fergus Crane is a young, normal boy, who does nothing out of the ordinary. However he soon finds out that all his teachers in school are deadly, dangerous pirates who have a selfish, evil plan. They kidnap his classmates. Fergus, determined to save his friends, risks his life on a mission of lava, flying horses and other quests that capture the imagination of the reader.

Mysterious letters, strange happenings, together with the disappearance of his father all built slowly and subtly into suspense. The book ends as imaginatively as it began; the author ends the mystery with an unexpected but convincing climax.

I suppose that Fergus Crane has been developed as a role model; how far would you go to save your friends? I believe that the author felt responsibility for his young readers and left them with an influential moral to end the story.